A Review

Puttin' On The Hits

By R. J. Donovan

Jukebox Musicals have been sprouting up in New York for the past few seasons. Some bad, some good, but all with the same basic idea. Take a trunkful of well-known pop hits, string 'em together somehow and put on a show.

"All Shook Up" opened on Broadway two seasons ago as a night of Elvis Presley hits. Never taking itself too seriously, the show laced together The King's best loved songs by adding a basic storyline that served more as a convenient platform for the songs than a solid book.

The pivotal point lies in the show's not taking itself too seriously. It doesn't pretend to be Shakespeare, although with a bit of a wink it references The Bard in more ways than one (sonnets, mistaken identities, forbidden love and sexual confusion).

Elvis was not John Raitt. And "All Shook Up" is not "Carousel." But it is a night of cartoon-ish fun that will probably be appreciated by anyone who ever bought a "45" at Woolworth's. The national tour of "All Shook Up" is at The Opera House through October 8.

Joe DiPietro ("I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change") has fashioned a story that centers on Chad, a roustabout in the Presley style, who rides a motorbike, snaps his fingers as well as his hips and dresses in skintight jeans and a T. One character describes him as a "guitar-playing caveman with the libido of an Italian soccer team."

The curl-lipped bad boy-with-a-heart arrives in a small hick town after being let out of prison. His presence serves to light a fire under every throbbing heart in town. Subsequently, each is smitten with someone who doesn't quite return the glow -- until the finale, that is.

Joe Mandragona is Chad and he cuts a fine figure as the greased biker with the curl in the middle of his forehead. He inflames the passions of Natalie (Jenny Fellner), a female mechanic he's not at all drawn in. So she assumes another persona in an effort to win him over.

Meanwhile, there's an interracial couple (Valisia Lekae Little and Brian Sears) who fight to be together; Natalie's single Dad (Wally Dunn) who's ready to resume dating after the death of his wife; Sylvia (Natasha Yvette Williams) the wise-cracking local bar matron who's always at the ready with advice for anyone who'll listen; nerdy Dennis (Dennis Moench), who pines for the unsuspecting Natalie; Mayor Matilda (Beth Glover) cracking down on anyone who's even THINKING about having fun in her "Footloose"-type town; and the local Museum Curator (Susan Anton, at left with Mandragona), who has very little reason to be living in middle America since she's got no customers at the Museum.

Characters burst into song at a moment's notice, sometimes in snippets to underscore emotion, other times in full blown rock 'em, sock 'em production numbers.

Among the stand out moments is Natasha Yvette Williams' soaring solo, “There’s Always Me.” She also starts off the heartfelt Act One capper, "Can't Help Falling in Love." Moench delivers a nice "It Hurts Me," Fellner has her moment with "Fools Fall In Love," and Mandragona swivels center stage for a bunch of numbers including "Jailhouse Rock," "Teddy Bear," "Hound Dog" and C'mon Everybody," among others.

And last, but certainly not least, the lithe and leggy Anton belts with the best of them, looks great and adds a nice comic touch to the Curator who longs for a little magic of her own.

Choreographer Sergio Trujillo contributes some energetic dance moves to all this, although director Christopher Ashley is letting his cast skate past some of the easier laughs.

All in all, harmless, tuneful fun that'd probably even make The King say "...Well ah, thank ya. Thank ya very much."

"All Shook Up" is at The Opera House, 539 Washington Street, through October 8. For information, call 617-931-2787.

Production Photos: Carol Rosegg

-- OnStage Boston

 

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